Injection site for venoclysis apparatus



July 25, 1967 G. BRODY INJECTION SITE FOR VENOCLYSIS APPARATUS Filed May 28, 1964 w MW 3 United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A parenteral solution administration set with an injection site for adding medicaments to the set with a hypodermic syringe. An upstanding tubular arm on the injection site is parallel to a flexible inlet tube leading to the injection site and this arm is capped by a pierceable rubber diaphragm. A hypodermic syringe injecting medicament through this rubber diaphragm and the flexible inlet tube can be taped together without kinking the inlet tube.

This invention relates to venoclysis apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus in which two parenteral liquids are combined for administration to a patient.

Parenteral liquids are usually administered to a patient from a parenteral liquid container supported above the level of the patient with conduit means leading from the parenteral liquid container to the patient. Quite often the physician finds it is necessary to combine with the parenteral solution being administered additives such as a supplemental medication, an injectable anesthetic, blood, or a second parenteral solution.

In the past, these additives have been introduced into the conduit means by a hypodermic needle inserted into a rubber gland or section of rubber tubing in the conduit means. A serious disadvantage with rubber glands is the danger of jabbing'ones hand when piercing the rubber gland, either because the rubber gland rolls in the hand or because the needle goes completely through both walls of the gland. This could be very serious, especially if the nurse or physician jabs an artery or vein in his hand and injects a highly concentrated potent drug. Also, the patient could contact hepatitis from an infected operator, if the operator pierced both walls of the rubber gland and jabbed his hand with the needle. On withdrawing the needle from the rubber gland, the contaminated needle tip would pass through the liquid stream leading to the patient, and thereby infect the patient.

If the hypodermic needle is inserted through this rubber gland or any other injection site, and the needle protrudes perpendicularly into the fluid path, the needle will cause turbulence and possible air entrainment within the parenteral liquid flowing through the conduit. Also, per pendicular insertion of a needle will leave the additive syringe or administration set projecting at an awkward angle with the main fluid conduit. Thus, the operator will have to support it during the entire period of addition in order to keep the needle from falling out. This is impractical, especially if the additive takes a considerable time to introduce.

It is an object of this invention to provide in a parenteral liquid conduit means, an injection site wherein an additive liquid enters parallel to the parenteral conduit means.

Another object of this invention is to provide an injection site for parenteral liquid conduit means wherein additive liquids can be introduced without causing turbulence.

Another object of this invention is to provide an injection site for a parenteral liquid conduit means wherein the injecting instrument, such as a syringe, is positioned parallel and adjacent to the conduit means.

A further object of this invention is to provide an in- 3,332,418 Patented July 25, 1967 "ice the injection site has an additive passage parallel to the conduit means with the entrance to said additive passage being spaced at distance from a central section of the injection site.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from further description, and from the following illustratious:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the injection site being used with a parenteral liquid conduit means;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the injection site showing it connected to the parenteral liquid conduit means; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 1 shows the injection site comprising a body member 1 and a pierceable, resealable diaphragm 5 as they are used in practice in combination with a parenteral liquid conduit means. Conduit 3 normally connects to a parenteral solution bottle (not shown),- and conduit 2 normally leads to a patient (also not shown) as, for instance, in an intravenous administration. Both conduits 2 and 3 are flexible. The body memberl has a plurality of internal parallel passages which are shown in detail in FIGURES 2 and 3. Across the mouth of one of these passages is a pierceable, resealable diaphragm 5, and it is through this diaphragm that entrance is made to the injection site and thereby to the parenteral liquid stream.

Such entrance can be made by the needle of a syringe or an administration set. The syringe or administration set can be taped or otherwise secured to the conduit 3 when the additive liquid is introduced over a long period of time. An example of a procedure requiring a long period of time involves administering from two parenteral liquid bottles at the same time. This is done by piggy-backing a second bottle of parenteral liquid by inserting the needle of its administration set through the pierceable resealable diaphragm 5 of an injection site on the administration set of a first parenteral liquid bottle. Another example is administering an anesthetic along with a parenteral liquid. Here, the physician need not disconnect the syringe from the injection site between each injection. Hence, there is less chance of contaminating the needle than with multiple insertions and removals.

For purposes of safety in inserting and removing a needle, the pierceable, resealable diaphragm 5 is spaced from the flat-sided central section 13 of body member 1. Thus, the operator is not likely to inadvertently jab his finger as would be the case were he holding an injection site adjacent to the point of needle penetration, such as in rubber glands.

The sectional view in FIGURE 2 shows a body membe 1 which is of a rigid medical grade plastic as, for instance, methyl methacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, nylon, or Delrin. It is desirable that the body member 1 is transparent to enable the operator to see that the entire amount of additive liquid has flowed into the main parenteral liquid stream, and to detect any possible incompatability or precipitation.

Transparent body member 1 is comprised of a central section 13, an additive arm 15 and an outlet leg 30. Additive arm 15 extends from a portion of top 28 of central section 13 and has an additive passage 6 therein. Parallel to and spaced from additive passage 6 is an inlet passage 4 which communicates with top 28 of central section 13. Thus, the top of additive arm 15 is spaced above the top of central section 13 and the top of inlet passage 4. Connecting with the bottom 29 of central section 13 is an outlet leg 30 which defines an outlet passage 25. This outlet passage 25 is parallel to both inlet passage 4 and additive passage 6. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the longitudinal axis of outlet passage 25 lies between the respective longitudinal axes of inlet passage 4 and additive passage 6.

Closing additive passage 6 is a pierceable, resealable diaphragm 5, which is comprised of a plug portion 14 fitting in additive passage 6 and a skirt portion 24 fitting over the exterior of additive arm 15. A heat shrinkable band 17 is preferably used to hold the skirt portion 24 firmly to additive arm 15. The diaphragm 5 may also include a guide ring 16 to align the hypodermic needle with the center of the pierceable, resealable diaphragm 5.

Adjacent additive arm and surrounding inlet passage 4 is an upstanding flange 8. This flange acts as a shut-off valve when conduit 3, one end of which is firmly held in inlet passage 4, is bent over this upstanding flange 8. This is quite easily done in practice by a one-handed operation in which the index finger is wedged between the conduit 3 and the additive arm 15, thereby forcing flexible conduit 3 over the rigid upstanding flange 8. The upstanding flange 8 is shown surrounding conduit 3 on three sides. This gives the operator a great amount of flexibility in shutting off the inlet conduit 3 as he may push the conduit 3 directly away from additive passage wall 15 or he may push it to either side to cut ofi flow.

When body member 1 is connected to conduit 3 and condu-it 2, liquid from either conduit 3 or additive passage 6 will flow directly and without turbulence into conduit 2. To aid in this direct flow, a lower portion 7 of additive passage 6 tapers progressively inwardly toward its lower end, to funnel the additives into outlet passage and conduit 2. Hence, there are no pockets or undercuts in which any of these additives, often administered in small quantities, might be trapped as they are introduced. Also, to insure a smooth and direct flow of liquid from inlet passage 4 to outlet passage 25, a ledge 9 forms a limit stop for conduit 3 and keeps this conduit from causing turbulence or completely obstructing flow between inlet passage 4 and outlet passage 25.

The interrelationship between the three parallel passages 4, 25, and 6 can be seen in the sectional view of FIGURE 3. Here, the inlet passage 4 and the additive passage 6 are shown to be separated by a distance that is less than the diameter of the outlet passage 25. Therefore, flow from either inlet pass-age 4 or additive passage 6 enters outlet pass-age 25 along a line parallel to outlet passage 25.

In the foregoing, I have described my invention in terms of its use with a parenteral liquid administration. However, this invention is not limited to such use and can be used for any medical purpose where a fluid flows through a conduit means and an additive fluid is to be injected through a hypodermic needle into this conduit.

While I have described an embodiment of my invention, certain modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a venoclysis apparatus including a conduit in combination with means intermediate said conduit for supplementing a parenteral liquid being administered, the improvement in said means comprising:

a rigid plastic member, said member including a central section having a top surface and a bottom surface, an outlet leg extending from the bottom surface of said central section, said outlet leg defining an out- :let passage therein, said member including an additive arm extending from a portion of the top surface of said central section, the top of said additive arm being spaced above the top surface of said central section, said additive arm defining an additive passage therein, said body member having an inlet passage which communicates with the top surface of said central section adjacent said additive arm; said inlet, outlet and additive passages being parallel and interconnected interiorly of said central section, said internal passage connection having a cross-sectional area not substantially greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the three passages at their respective external ports; a pierceable, rescaling diaphragm across the top of said additive arm closing said additive passage; a first flexible conduit means in communication with said inlet passage, whereby said first flexible conduit means is adapted to be secured to a syringe administering medicants through said diaphragm without kinking said first flexible conduit means; and a second flexible conduit means in communication with said outlet passage.

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said body member includes flat opposed outer surfaces on opposite sides thereof for facilitating grasping of said body member whereby insertion of a needle through said diaphragm can be easily accomplished.

3. Venoclysis apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said central section has an upstanding flange along its top surface spaced from but adjacent at least a portion of said inlet passage, said flange adapted to out 01f flow through said first conduit means when this conduit means is bent over said flange.

4. Venoclysis apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said central section has a ledge along said inlet passage, said ledge adapted to prevent said first flexible conduit means from blocking the liquid flow between the inlet passage and the outlet passage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,656,835 10/ I953 Eisenstein l28214 3,025,855 3/ 1962 Hamilton 128-214 3,057,350 10/1962 Cowley 128--214 3,216,418 1 1/196 5 Scislowicz 128-214 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. DALTON L. TRULUOK, Examiner. 

1. IN A VENOCLYSIS APPARATUS INCLUDING A CONDUIT IN COMBINATION WITH MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID CONDUIT FOR SUPPLEMENTING A PARENTERAL LIQUID BEING ADMINISTERED, THE IMPROVEMENT IN SAID MEANS COMPRISING: A RIGID PLASTIC MEMBER, SAID MEMBER INCLUDING A CENTRAL SECTION HAVING A TOP SURFACE AND A BOTTOM SURFACE, AN OUTLET LEG EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID CENTRAL SECTION, SAID OUTLET LEG DEFINING AN OUTLET PASSAGE THEREIN, SAID MEMBER INCLUDING AN ADDITIVE ARM EXTENDING FROM A PORTION OF THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID CENTRAL SECTION, THE TOP OF SAID ADDITIVE ARM BEING SPACED ABOVE THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID CENTRAL SECTION, SAID ADDITIVE ARM DEFINING AN ADDITIVE PASSAGE THEREIN, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING AN INLET PASSAGE WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID CENTRAL SECTION ADJACENT SAID ADDITIVE ARM; SAID INLET, OUTLET AND ADDITIVE PASSAGES BEING PARALLEL AND INTERCONNECTED INTERIORLY OF SAID CENTRAL SECTION, SAID INTERNAL PASSAGE CONNECTION HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA NOT SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE SUM OF THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREAS OF THE THREE PASSAGES AT THEIR RESPECTIVE EXTERNAL PORTS; A PIERCEABLE, RESEALING DIAPHRAGM ACROSS THE TOP OF SAID ADDITIVE ARM CLOSING SAID ADDITIVE PASSAGE; A FIRST FLEXIBLE CONDUIT MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID INLET PASSAGE, WHEREBY SAID FIRST FLEXIBLE CONDUIT MEANS IS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A SYRINGE ADMINISTERING MEDICANTS THROUGH SAID DIAPHRAGM WITHOUT KINKING SAID FIRST FLEXIBLE CONDUIT MEANS; AND A SECOND FLEXIBLE CONDUIT MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID OUTLET PASSAGE. 